James vs Richard
James and Richardcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, James was ranked #1 and Richard #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1997, James was ranked #3 and Richard #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1999, James was ranked #8 and Richard #81 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #312 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
James and Richard over time
James and Richard appear together in 6 published lists, across 285 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Richard in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, James in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1976, James moved ahead of Richard in New Zealand · Boys — #10 and #9 the year before became #9 and #11.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and Richard changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1997, ending at #3 and #98.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, James and Richard averaged 24.7 places apart, ending at #3 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Richard were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1997, ending at #3 and #98.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — James #2 in 1997, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys78 shared years, 1945–2023
James held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Richard in 67.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order changed in 2022: James moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #400 and #382; by 2022 that had become #366 and #452.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #312, Richard #481.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Richard #232.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1997
James held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Richard in 8.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1996, Richard #16 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: James #3, Richard #98.
New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1954–1999
James held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Richard in 22.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, Richard #9 in 1965.
The order changed in 1976: James moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #10 and #9; by 1976 that had become #9 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 1999: James #8, Richard #81.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
James held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: James #1, Richard #311.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | James | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- James and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- James's recorded meaning differs from Richard's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Richard a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys